


Step Into the Night

by LadyRevolution



Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Almost everything but her vampirism is the same as the outlander universe, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Claire is not a time traveller, F/M, Slow Burn, Vampire Claire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 09:32:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14282028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRevolution/pseuds/LadyRevolution
Summary: An Outlander AU where Claire didn't fall through the stones, she was on the run from the vampire coven that has been trying to enlist her for centuries. In her reprieve at Castle Leoch, it has been a challenge to both hide her vampirism and stay away from Jamie. He smells good, too good, and for a thousand year old vampire with steel control, that's worrying."Ye need blood, Claire, I can tell ye do," Jamie whispered, backing her into a wall, a hand on either side of her head. Breathing heavily, he leaned forward and exposed his neck, "so take it from me." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the moment Claire gave into her desires, her almost black eyes zeroing in on his neck.





	Step Into the Night

**Author's Note:**

> I know I have two other stories going right now, so taking on a third one is just slightly ridiculous, but oh well, I dreamed about this AU last night. After being in the Teen Wolf, Glee, and Harry Potter fanfic universes for years, I've read so many stories with supernatural AU's and it's about time the Outlander Universe gets into it. So get keen guys, Vampire!Claire here we come :)

There was a madness to the world, Jamie understood that well enough. He saw it in men’s eyes in battle and felt it Blackjack’s whip; they were obvious examples of when raging desire for bloodshed took over humanity. And aye, that did haunt him, but what bothered him the most was when madness came in a subtler form. He wondered how many people he’d walked by in his lifetime that had felt a madness inside themselves. Did they try to quash it or did they embrace it? And did madness always equate to darkness, or could good people just have bad moments? When it turns from a moment of madness to a lifetime of madness … is that when one knows they’re no longer a good person? Because Jamie always tried to be a good person, but he couldn’t deny that he’d spent more than half of his life in the company of madness.

And as Jamie led the youngest pony out of her den, he wondered who else might feel the same as he did.

After leading the pony to the middle of the stable, he began leading it around in a circle, starting as a slow meander before building up to a trot. Impressed by the pony’s majestic strength, he pondered if it could sense madness in the air, just like the old wives tales said animals could. If that were so, did that mean he wasn’t mad?

Jamie sighed, sick of his own thick head languishing in his own morbid thoughts. But what else did he have? A future and a family were already most likely off the table, so who could blame him for feeling sad from time to time?

Suddenly, a sharp sound came from behind him causing the pony to rear instantly. With its front legs high in the air, Jamie threw himself back so as to not feel the pony’s hooves fall on to his rib cage. With his heart in his throat, Jamie took a deep breath as he saw the pony trot away.

“Ifrinn,” he grumbled, beginning to stand up from the muddy ground he’d fallen onto. Brushing himself of aggressively, he spun around to see what caused the scare.

His hackles dropped instantly as he saw Claire standing just feet away from him with an anxious expression.

“Are you okay?”

Her eyes were frantically surveying his body, presumably for any sign of injury. She had a quick intake of breath as her eyes rose back to his, nervously awaiting his answer. He took a deep breath as he shook off any residing negative feelings. Feeling his body relax, he gave Claire a welcoming smile. Taking the last step to reach the fence of stable, he leaned his elbows on the edge, just a hair width away from the beautiful lady.

“I’m fine, lass, dinna fash,” he gave a small laugh and titled his head to watch the relief wash over Claire.

It took a moment to realise that they were just standing in silence, smiling softly at each other.

 

Jamie cleared his throat and took a step back. Looking down in embarrassment, he scratched his neck and asked, “So how can I be of service, Mistress?”

When no reply came, he looked back up to see if Claire was alright. Her eyes had been locked on something just below his face, and seeing him look back up at jolted her out of it. He looked down at his shoulder questioningly, wondering if his shirt was torn or something. Seeing it hadn’t, he wondered what had caught her attention.

“Well, Mr MacTavish, it’s not what you can do for me, but rather, what I can do for you,” she smiled playfully, swaying the basket in her arms.

With a small chuckle and wide smile, Jamie opened the gate to the stables, letting Claire seemingly glide inside. He closed the gate hurriedly, realising that Claire and he might need a place to sit. Striding purposefully to retrieve a blanket from behind a bale of hay, Jamie carefully placed the blanket on a stretch of dry land. From his position crouched over the blanket trying to straighten out all the edges, he heard Claire give a little giggle. Realising that he might be trying too hard to impress her, he cleared his throat again, and asked, “Shall we sit then, Mistress?”

_A Dhia, maybe he should have asked if she wanted to sit before he brought out the blanket. What if she just wanted to give him something and leave, you thickheid?_

Tilting her head to the side, Claire smiled and curtsied playfully, saying “It would be my honour, good sir.”

He gave a small laugh as he finally sat back, letting his insecurities fall away. If Claire was good at one thing, it was making him smile. A tiny voice in the back of his head told him he was being too obvious in how Claire made him feel. He was in no position to pursue her, but dammit, he knew what the mix of butterflies and contentment inside him meant. She was the one.

After Claire neatly folded herself next to him, he asked, “So what brings you to the stables, Sassenach? It certainly wasn’t the pleasant journey through the rain to get here,” he eyed off the stereotypical Scottish weather, wishing for a day of sun.

“Hmm,” Claire sighed wistfully, “I actually rather like Scottish weather. I think it’s quite freeing.” While unpacking the items inside the basket, she revealed, “I brought you lunch. Well, rather … us, lunch,” Clare hesitated on the plural word, eyeing Jamie nervously. “I was with a patient when lunch was served you see, and when I went to the kitchens to pick up some food, I overheard Mrs Fitz say she hoped Auld Alec wasn't working you so hard you didn’t have time to eat. So,” she shrugged, “I took enough food for us to eat together. I hope that’s okay?” she asked slowly, trying to gauge his reaction.

“That’s verra kind, Sassenach. I probably wouldna have eaten til dinner, Mrs Fitz was right, I have been quite busy trying to break in all of the new ponies in time for the Gathering,” Jamie replied, taking a bite out of one of the bannocks Claire brought.

“Well I hope you haven’t overworked your shoulder all in this busyness. The healing process would have taken a few steps back with Rupert punching it at the Hall,” Claire said slightly haughtily, still a little upset that he willingly took a punishment when he was already injured.

“Yer no’ still angry about that are ye, Mistress? Surely, ye understand why I took Laoghaire’s punishment, she would have been shamed for years for it,” Jamie pushed, his brows furrowed.

“I understand why you did it, I just wish you hadn’t,” Claire sighed, looking away and playing with the hem of her dress.

“I’d do the same for you, Sassenach,” he said lowly, his eyes searching for hers.

When she looked up and stared back, the air around them seemed to have less oxygen. She was so beautiful, it was hard to breathe.

“I can take care of myself, you know,” she whispered, not breaking our eye contact for a second.

“I know you can, Claire, doesna mean ye should have to though,” he replied, beseeching her to realise he’d happily be the man to fight her battles with her, by her side.

Their moment broke when she dropped her head, a sad expression falling over her face.

“No, perhaps I shouldn’t have to, but I’ve long accepted that I must,” she murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Silence lulled between them, neither knowing what to say to comfort the other. Eventually, they resumed eating their lunch, enjoying the other’s quiet company. Nearing the end of their meal, both Claire and Jamie reached for the last bannock. They looked up at each other and smiled, their hands lingering on each other’s.

Pulling back his hand, Jamie nodded at Claire and said, “It’s yours, lass, couldna forgive myself for stealing food out of a woman’s hands.”

“No, no,” Claire plucked the bannock from the blanket and clasped Jamie’s hand. Placing the bannock on his palm, she blushed and uttered, “You need the sustenance a lot more than I do. Please,” she prompted, folding Jamie’s fingers over his palm, curling into a soft fist.

After a long moment where Jamie eyes flickered between her golden eyes, he replied gently, “Alright, if ye say so, lass.”

“I do,” she nodded meaningfully. “Well, I must be going, those patients aren’t going to heal themselves.”

She stood up, brushing any crumbs off her dress. Quickly rising with her, Jamie packed up the basket and held it out for her patiently.

“Thank you for a pleasant afternoon, Mr MacTavish, as always it’s good to see you,” she said, grasping the basket in her slender hand.

“Aye, and I, you,” he nodded respectfully.

She gave a small smile before gracefully meandering out of the stables and back to the castle.

He was brought out of his reveries of watching her walk away by Auld Alec entering from the back gate, grumbling some nonsense.

“Ye may want to pick ye jaw up from the ground before it permanently detaches, ye clotheid,” he announced mockingly.

 “I am a bit of a clotheid, aren’t I?” Jamie sighed, and looked down. Turning back around to face Auld Alec, he asked, “Do ye reckon she likes me?”

“Of course she does, she’s been very clear about the people she doesna like, Dougal for one. Did ye see the way she glared at him at the dinner the other night? God Almighty that woman will get herself in serious trouble one day,” Alec said gruffly, shaking his head.

“That isna quite what I meant,” Jamie sighed, lifting his foot to rest of a bale of hay.

Auld Alec stopped what he was doing and looked contemplatively at Jamie.

“Does it matter? It’s not like ye can do a thing about it.”

Jamie looked down at his dirty hands. Alec was right, Jamie was stable boy on the run from the English. He couldna offer stability, or a home, or a future with any lass, let alone the regal likes of Claire. Jamie nodded to himself resolutely, and got back to work.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, I'd love to hear your thought for this chapter and suggestions you have for the upcoming chapters. What sneaky vampiric tells do you want Claire to have? What specific moments do you have to see happen? What kind of reactions do you think Jamie will have across the plot? What plot lines do you think will fit or not, e.g. witch accusation, forced marriage etc? I'm keen to hear it all, so come at with me :) xx


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